Even though there has been much talk about DIY Solar there has been very little uptake of the technology in the Domestic DIY market. A big reason for this has been a common belief that lots of sunlight is needed to make the energy savings all worthwhile!
A 'lack of sunlight' has often been the argument of many politicians against going Solar but this argument is simply not justified. Take for example the small Danish Island of Samsoe, a place powered solely by renewable energy. On average it has about 7-8 hours of extremely weak sunlight and yet 70% of its heating requirements are met by solar energy, hay and biomass!
It is true that the amount of Solar energy falling on a square meter of earth (300 Watts per square meter) is in fact quite small requiring rather large energy collectors to meet the energy needs of a typical home. However, the roof area of a typical home far exceeds the size of solar panel required to heat a home - roughly 10% the size of living area. Also, with increasingly efficient solar panels capable of turning even the weakest of sunlight into electric power you can be sure the market is set to grow.
Thirty to Forty years ago, in colder climates, a similar situation arose with double glazing. The average householder thought the idea too expensive and pay back too long in terms of energy savings. Home owners soon realized that pay back was not the main issue. House prices increased after double glazing had been installed. The installation costs had been justified with lower heating bills as well!
Solar technology will be no different. Those people who install Solar Systems, DIY Solar or manufactured, will realize the return on investment through both energy savings and property value. It will become the norm and not the exception to have some sort of Domestic Power source.
Currently, commercial Solar power systems can be very expensive. If you are looking at a return on investment solely via energy savings you could be waiting a very long time. The alternative is to go DIY Solar. Just like in the early days of double glazing where people would install their own secondary panes, home owners are now looking to build their own Solar energy systems. The parts needed are not too expensive and the information to build such a system is readily available. A DIY Solar system can work out at one tenth the cost of a similar commercial system.
Please visit my "Eco Friendly Warrior Blog" for more information related to alternative energy and environmental issues. Go to "DIY Solar for Energy Saving" for more practical information about Solar energy.
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